1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to the installation of elongated panels, boards and/or siding material in overlapped relation to the vertical wall of a building structure and the provision of a reusable orienting and supporting tool to aid in such installation. Even more particularly, this invention relates to a siding support and installation tool that temporarily grips the siding to be installed and is either preset or adjustable to establish a desired degree of overlap between successive siding panels being secured.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Building siding is well known and in widespread use. Siding material typically is manufactured in elongate boards that must be secured to a building in overlapping fashion. Installation of these boards can be awkward and time consuming, often requiring two or more people. Numerous tools have been designed to assist in siding installation. However, none of the known prior art devices enable simple and efficient installation of a length of siding by one person.
The siding gauge tool of this invention provides a reusable device that is temporarily placed in gripping relation with a piece of siding to be installed and which, when positioned on the piece of siding, automatically gauges the overlap of the siding with a previously installed piece of siding, eliminating the task of measuring and marking by the installer. Further, although the tool is preset for most uses, the gauge may be incrementally adjusted to change the amount of overlap between the siding panel to be installed relative to the previously installed panel. In addition, although laterally positionable along an edge of the siding to be installed, the tool keeps the siding from slipping during the initial nailing and allows one person to hang, gauge, hold and nail the siding.
The inventive tool includes an elongate base including a handle portion, and a gauge arm and a resilient spring or clip member, the arm and clip each extending upwardly from the base and combining to form a supporting and gripping portion of the tool. The gauge arm extends generally at a right angle to the base and terminates in a lip or flange portion that extends generally at a right angle from the arm and in a direction away from the handle. The clip member is carried on the upper surface of the base, extends toward the gauge arm, and terminates in a deflectable free end. Preferably, the free end is spaced from the gauge arm to define a gap therebetween and the clip member and gauge arm cooperate to define an upwardly open U-shaped channel for receiving an edge portion of a piece of siding. The clip member is deflectable towards (and away from) the gauge arm whereby to expand as needed to receive and clampingly engage with boarding material of different thicknesses.
For use, one or more (and preferably two) of the tools are placed on the bottom edge of the piece of siding or like boarding material to be installed so that the siding member is releasably captured between the spring clip and the gauge arm, and is held there by spring tension, with the bottom edge of the siding being supported or resting on the upper surface of the base. The tool(s) may then be moved and positioned as desired along the lower edge portion of the siding.
According to an aspect of this invention, although the distance between the siding support surface of the base member and the flange member defines a preset gauge length (i.e., the vertical overlap between successively installed siding panels), the vertical overlap between successive siding panels may be adjusted. In this regard, the tool of the invention herein includes a shim arrangement for spacing the siding from the support surface of the base member to reduce the distance between the support surface (on which the bottom edge of the siding to be installed would normally sit) and the flange member, thereby changing the amount of overlap between the bottom edge of the siding panel to be installed and the top edge of the last installed piece of siding.
Preferably, the shim arrangement comprises cylindrical and wedge shaped shims that are supported on the upper surface of the base member. Each such shim may include an axial bore and be removably connected to the base member by a resilient U-shaped mounting clip that is operably associated with the bore and the base member. The wedge shaped shim may be removably secured to the base member by a threaded fastener.
Additionally, the shim arrangement comprises a C-shaped bracket having upper and lower legs juxtaposed with the upper and lower surfaces of the base member, and a threaded stem operably connecting the base member to the lower leg. An adjustable space is defined between the upper leg and the base member for receiving one or more shim plates of desired thickness. The threaded stem includes a free end that engages the lower surface of the base member and a medial portion that is threadably engaged with a bore in the lower leg. Depending on the direction of rotation of the stem member, the upper leg of the bracket member is pulled towards (or pushed away from) the base member and gripping retaining engagement with the shim plate. In some situations, the separately inserted shim plates may be replaced by the upper leg of the bracket. That is, the upper leg may be of a predetermined thickness and function as a shim for the siding, which leg is brought into engagement with the base member and used to space the siding from the base member.
Further and according to this invention, the handle has a free end portion that is xe2x80x9csquaredxe2x80x9d and provided with a score or gauge line and a nail locating aperture. The gauge line is located inwardly from the free end of the handle and extends between opposite lateral edges thereof.
The gauge line is adapted to be aligned with an edge of the siding panel to be installed whereby to locate places in the siding member where installation nails should be placed. The nails are desirably driven into the siding panel at a preset distance inwardly from the long (horizontal) upper and lower edges, such as for overlapping installations and the short (vertical) end edges, such as for butt-joints, to ensure that the siding panel does not crack from nails that are too close to the edges of the siding panel.
The aperture is sized to receive a pencil, awl, or like marking member to mark places in the siding where the installation nails should be placed. Further, the aperture is sized to receive a drill bit and the handle is of a metal (e.g., stainless steel) that enables in situ pre-drilling of one or more nail-receiving holes.
The free-end portion of the handle is of a predetermined thickness to enable the user to ensure that the ends of panels being installed in side-by-side relation (i.e., a butt joint) are properly separated by a vertical gap that may receive a proper amount of caulking material. In this regard, the squared end of the handle is partially rounded to enable caulking material to be smoothed.
The piece of siding is placed at an appropriate position on a wall above (or next to) a piece of siding, so that the flange of the tool rests on the upper edge of the previously installed piece therebelow. The length of the arm portion thus defines the desired overlap of the siding pieces (e.g., one and one-quarter inches). The installer may rest the piece of new siding, with the tool(s) in place, on the previously installed piece of siding, enabling the installer to temporarily nail the new piece in place. The tool(s) can then be removed from the new piece by twisting and pulling down on the handle portion to both disengage the flange from the previous piece, and release the new piece of siding from the spring tension between the clip and arm. The new piece of siding, with the tool(s) now removed, can now be completely nailed in place, and the process repeated with subsequent runs of siding.
The siding gauge tool of this invention enables, in one tool, the vertical overlap between a siding panel being installed relative to the top edge of a previously installed siding panel to be preset by a predetermined amount, the amount of overlap between successive panels to be changed easily, the lateral separation between the abutted ends of a siding panel being installed and previously installed siding to be set by a predetermined amount sufficient to define a narrow vertical cavity of predetermined size for receiving caulking material, and the marking (or in situ drilling) of nail receiving holes at predetermined locations relative to the siding.
When used as a pair (i.e., a tool is positioned at each opposite lateral end portion of a siding panel), the siding gauge tool(s) enables installation of a length of siding by one person. The siding gauge tool is removably attached and/or positioned, as desired, along the bottom edge portion of a free piece of siding, and facilitates the installation of siding with little effort.
The siding gauge tool is simple to use and efficient, unlike other-known siding tools.
The attachment achieved by the spring clip allows flexibility when installing.
The xe2x80x9cflangexe2x80x9d used for gauging allows for accurate gauging but far less resistance when removing from the installed siding. This xe2x80x9cflangexe2x80x9d will not cut or scar the siding or boarding material.